QAA undertakes cyclical quality review of higher education institutions throughout the United Kingdom, except currently in England, where the regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), has not implemented a cyclical review approach and QAA has chosen to focus on its enhancement activity, including new paid-for services to help the sector meet regulatory requirements and enhance quality.
[5] QAA's funding comes from a combination of membership subscriptions from universities and colleges in the United Kingdom and internationally, contracts with United Kingdom higher education regulators, funding bodies and government departments, and commissioned work including international reviews and business development work.
[7] United Kingdom degree-awarding bodies (mainly universities) set their own standards for the degrees and other qualifications they award (academic degrees), but since most courses are partly or entirely publicly funded (including through student loans) there is a requirement that they undergo external review to demonstrate that a national 'threshold' standard is met, and that quality is satisfactory.
All reviews check that United Kingdom expectations are met; currently this is done by benchmarking the provision against QAA's Quality Code (see below).
QAA's review methods are informed by a self-evaluation submitted in advance by each university or college, and by a 'student submission' - a commentary by its students.
Evidence is obtained in a variety of ways, including interviews with relevant individuals and structured discussions with student and staff focus groups.
In 2015 the Quality Code was extended to include the United Kingdom 'frameworks for higher education qualifications' (specifying levels for the different higher education qualifications and defining these through 'level descriptors') and the subject benchmark statements (specifying what outcomes - knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes - are expected of bachelor's and master's graduates in specific disciplines).
The Quality Code covers: In Scotland the levels are different, being part of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework[10]).
QAA conducts or sponsors research projects and consultation events relating to quality in United Kingdom higher education and publishes guidance on topical issues.
Both systems are designed as a recourse for students who have already asked for an internal investigation into their complaint and have not found the outcome of this to be satisfactory.
The new process was introduced in Scotland, but before it had become fully operational across the United Kingdom a number of English universities complained about the administrative burden that this approach entailed, leading to a rethink by the Westminster government.
The Scottish and Welsh higher education authorities took this opportunity to set up their own national arrangements, while in England QAA worked with the bodies representing higher education institutions (Universities United Kingdom and Guild HE) to devise a modified approach known as Institutional Audit.
In the year prior to their audit, institutions underwent 'developmental engagements' - unpublished subject-based reviews to support internal quality assurance.
This removed the DATs, thereby freeing time in the audit process to explore a broader range of topics and themes.
[24] The Select Committee published a report (2 August 2009) which proposed policy changes to expand QAA remit to ensure the meeting of consistent standards.
[25] According to the report: "it is not acceptable, as we found during our inquiry, that Vice-Chancellors cannot give a straightforward answer to the simple question of whether students obtaining first class honours degrees at different universities had attained the same intellectual standards.The body that currently "assures quality", the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), focuses almost exclusively on processes, not standards.
"[25]In October 2009 a new Chief Executive was appointed (Anthony McClaran, formerly of UCAS), and measures were put in place to strengthen QAA's reputation.
The Browne Report (October 2010) commissioned by the Labour government, and the subsequent White Paper 'Students at the heart of the system' published by the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in summer 2011 had a substantial impact on QAA's work.
The introduction of tuition fees led to increased focus on how quality in higher education was managed and verified.
Between 2011 and 2013, in consultation with the higher education sector, QAA phased in a new Quality Code to replace the Academic Infrastructure, and developed a new method of Institutional Review applicable to degree-awarding bodies in England and Northern Ireland, and (with some variation) in Wales.
Under a separate method QAA also continued to review degree courses provided at further education colleges (validated by universities).